Rapper's home raided at gunpoint by IRS agents

Sadly, we've grown accustomed to stories about entertainers who, for one reason or another, do not pay their taxes. Still... it isn't often that the Internal Revenue Service greets them with shotguns drawn. But that's what happened to rapper Young Buck - real name David Darnell Brown - on August 3rd, as the IRS attempted to satisfy a tax debt of roughly $300,000. Hiphoppress.com reported that the guns were there to warn Brown against interfering with the agents as they proceeded to seize his assets. Brown had previously filed papers to try to keep his assets away from the IRS.

In the raid, agents confiscated recording equipment, jewelry, furniture, platinum wall plaques, and a PlayStation belonging to Brown's children. Brown will be allowed to keep his vehicles and his home.

IRS spokesman Dan Boone called the raid a "civil action," but declined further comment. Brown has been the subject of several liens for nonpayment of taxes, the most recent of which was filed in May, in Sumner County, Tennessee, for $164,000 in delinquent federal taxes.

Brown issued a statement that started by complaining that the IRS took his "baby's mother's jewelry," and ended by saying the real problem was with his advisors. He'd trusted his finances to his accountants, attorneys, and managers, he said. Now he is "paying full attention."

He is quoted on JDSupra.com as saying:

"The worst part of this isn't the material stuff - that will all be replaced. It's what it does to the people around me. They took my kids' PlayStation, my assistants' computers, and my baby's mother's jewelry. They took my home studio so I can't even record."

Before the end of the same day, August 3rd, things started looking up for Brown. Music producer Drumma Boy sent Brown an e-mail message that contained no words, just original music. Brown took the music straight to a studio and, six hours later, emerged with two new songs. The first song is called "My Campaign," and is said to be reflective and somber, rather than upbeat.

Brown described himself later as "relatively unscathed and reflective." He said the raid was a "huge wake up call" for other entertainers. "Nothing like this will ever happen again," he told reporters. "Things you go through in life make you who you are, and I'm alright."

Brown became famous after he appeared on the Get Rich or Die Tryin' soundtrack, by rapper 50 Cent. After that, Brown was signed by G-Unit Records, owned by 50 Cent. The two are no longer working together.